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(SPRINGFIELD, SD) – Join the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition for its 23rd Annual Membership Meeting scheduled for 10 a.m., Thursday, May 2, 2024 at the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska – Tribal Headquarters Conference Room in Niobrara, Nebraska at 2523 Woodbine Street.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Interested people are encouraged to attend. A virtual meeting link is available for those who cannot attend in person. Register by clicking the box above.

Paul Boyd, hydraulic engineer – River and Reservoir Engineering Section of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Omaha District, will provide an update brief on the sediment collector pilot project planned for at least a week-long installation on the Niobrara River later this summer. The project, funded by the Corps’ Regional Sediment Management (RSM) Program, is coordinated by USACE Omaha District and in collaboration with the Corps’ Engineering Development and Research Center (ERDC) and the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition (MSAC).

For decades, the Niobrara River with its nearly unlimited sand supply has been the single, largest contributor of the sedimentation building up in the Lewis and Clark Lake delta. MSAC sees this short-term collector pilot project with the potential of sparking long-term results. Over the past several years the group has focused on the Lewis and Clark Lake region as the waterbody behind Gavins Point Dam will be the first of the six Missouri River mainstem reservoirs to fill with sediment if no action is taken. Phase 2 of a Section 22 Planning Assistance to States study requested by MSAC to develop a sediment management plan for this region was released at the end of 2023. Next steps will also be discussed at the annual meeting.

Additional business for MSAC’s annual meeting includes a Board of Directors member election. MSAC’s Board of Director members with terms expiring are: Tim Cowman, of Vermillion, Class I – Governmental Entities, and Kersten Johnson, of Sioux Falls, Class II-Organizations.

MSAC, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, was organized in 2001. It is dedicated to educating the public and to promoting the intelligent use of all available programs and funds to alleviate the sedimentation-caused problems of the Missouri River main-stem reservoirs. MSAC supports a sustainable approach to reservoir management, envisioning doing what is necessary to extend the storage capacity of the reservoir as far into the future as possible recognizing the value of our most precious resource – water.

(SPRINGFIELD, SD) – Join the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition for its 22nd Annual Membership Meeting scheduled for 10 a.m., Friday, May 19, 2023, at the United Way Community Room, 920 Broadway Avenue, Yankton, SD. Attendees will have the option of joining via webinar. Please register to ensure receiving the latest information.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Interested people are encouraged to attend. Register with button above to obtain the webinar link or email msacinfo@keepitwater.org.

Paul Boyd, hydraulic engineer – River and Reservoir Engineering Section of the USACE – Omaha District, will provide an update brief on Phase 2 and next steps. Joining Boyd will be Justin Brewer, Chief, Economics and Planning Quality Review for USACE – Omaha District. Phase 2 is part of the effort by MSAC, stakeholders and the USACE to develop a sediment management plan for the Lewis and Clark Lake region. Phase 2 includes a detailed economic inventory of benefits and a review of possible sediment management actions that could produce positive sustainability benefits. Next steps will be discussed.

Shortly after Gavins Point Dam was completed in 1957 near Yankton, SD, people at the upper end of the lake and upstream began to feel the impacts of accumulating sediment. Currently, the lake is at least 30 percent full of sediment and by the year 2045 it is projected to be 50% full of sediment. In 2018, MSAC requested technical assistance from the USACE to develop a sediment management plan for the Lewis and Clark Lake region. The project is jointly funded by the USACE and the local sponsor, MSAC. To date, 14 stakeholders along with MSAC and its members have contributed funds to the local effort. MSAC anticipates lessons learned in this process will help the other Missouri River reservoirs in future planning.

Additional business for MSAC’s annual meeting include a Board of Directors member election. MSAC’s Board of Director members with terms expiring are: Mark Simpson, at large, and Paul Lepisto, at large, and Mary Hurd, at large.

MSAC, a 510c3 nonprofit organization, was organized in 2001. It is dedicated to educating the public and to promoting the intelligent use of all available programs and funds to alleviate the sedimentation-caused problems of the Missouri River main-stem reservoirs. MSAC supports a sustainable approach to reservoir management, envisioning doing what is necessary to extend the storage capacity of the reservoir as far into the future as possible recognizing the value of our most precious resource – water. The agenda continues to be developed and will be available at MSAC’s Facebook page or at  www.keepitwater.com.  Please note that the webinar is free via an internet connection. Participants may choose to connect by telephone, in which case long distance charges may apply.

Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, the appointment to and termination from its Board of Directors, hiring and firing of staff or contractors, selection of volunteers, selection of vendors, and providing of services.

Mazdak to outline technology focused on addressing reservoir sedimentation
Join MSAC for a free webinar

Emerging technologies could assist in lengthening the lifespans of the nation’s reservoirs plagued by sedimentation. The Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition invites the public to learn more about one approach from Mazdak International Inc., during a free webinar Friday, Oct. 28^th beginning at 11 a.m. central.

Mazdak International Inc. of Sumas, Washington, was a finalist in the Guardians of the Reservoir Prize Competition and captured the Innovation Award in September with its slurry pulsejet engine. Baha Abulnaga and David Dibley of Mazdak developed this new technology.

Abulnaga will outline the technology and provide information about another of its projects designed to address the transport of sediments.

“The Guardians of Reservoirs noticed that current technology at depth exceeding 50 feet was very limited and challenged the innovators for new solutions for depth of 50 feet to 200 feet or even deeper, such as the Hoover Dam that is 600 feet deep,” Abulnaga said. “Mazdak International developed a new submersible platform that operates on the principle of an internal combustion liquid piston engine. The submersible dives to the depth of 200 feet and operated on the principle of creating the pressure needed to push the slurry up to a mother barge. This is achieved by the detonation of a mixture of a gaseous fuel and air against a liquid piston of dredged sediments and water. Fuel and compressed air are supplied from the mother barge, while slurry and exhaust gases are directed in the opposite direction in separate pipes to the mother barge and then pumped further around the dam in a floating slurry pipeline. The invention is called ‘Slurry Pulsejet Engine’ because it generates pulses of slurry.”

The inventors are also working on collecting methane emissions from reservoirs to convert them as fuel for dredging using the slurry pulsejet engine. It is estimated that the methane emissions from water lakes, rivers and reservoirs could cover all the electricity needs of the Earth for 2018, Abulnaga said.

Continued sedimentation at the nation’s reservoirs threatens project benefits and impacts the environment downstream of dams. It can also impact areas upstream of the reservoir including tributaries.

Email msaconline@gmail.com for the webinar link or visit www.keepitwater.org to register. MSAC intends to offer additional webinars introducing emerging reservoir sedimentation management technologies. MSAC continues to develop a sediment management plan with stakeholders and river managers for the Lewis and Clark Lake region. MSAC is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to education and promoting action to address sedimentation in and around the Missouri River reservoirs.

The Bureau of Reclamation selected D-Sediment team from Germany as the prize winner of the Guardians of the Reservoir Prize Competition, according to Reclamation’s press release dated Sept. 15, 2022. The 3 D Dredger™ Team was presented with the Versatility Award. Reclamation partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NASA Tournament Lab and HeroX on this competition, which was launched on July 14, 2020 to develop more cost-effective sediment removal methods for reservoirs.

To Register Follow this LINK and a fillable form will open. Your link will be emailed before the event.
Or Email: msaconline@gmail.com

READ MORE: Bureau of Reclamation recognizes Guardians of of the Reservoir Prize Competition winning solution to manage sediment in reservoirs

Mazdak International Website

Hydraulic engineers, Tim Randle and Jennifer Bountry with Bureau of Reclamation Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group Office of Denver, provided an informative presentation concerning reservoir sedimentation at MSAC’s annual meeting May 20th. They have worked on multiple dam removal projects in the western United States, river restoration design and analysis, and reservoir sedimentation issues throughout the world.

Dr. Randle is a civil engineer with over 40 years of experience in rivers and reservoirs. He retired from the Bureau of Reclamation as Manager of the Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group and is working for them again on a part-time basis. He presently chairs the National Reservoir Sedimentation and Sustainability Team.

Both have been named Reclamation’s Engineer of the Year, Randle in 1997 and Bountry in 2017. Bountry has been with the Bureau since 1998 serving in both technical and project management roles. She has been pro-active in leading inter-disciplinary studies aimed at linking geomorphology, physical science, engineering and biology expertise to develop river rehabilitation strategies for endangered and threatened species in the Pacific Northwest.

View the Presentation Slide Deck Below. Use the back button on your toolbar to return to this page.

In other business, Paul Boyd, hydraulic engineer with the US Army Corps of Engineers, presented an update on Phase 2. MSAC and stakeholders recently submitted $25,000 to further meet local cost share requirements of approximately $107,000 (50% of Phase 2 total expenses – See first slide in presentation). Phase 2 is expected to be complete later this year. Watch the update below.

View the Phase 2 Presentation Slide Deck Below. Please note it is in Draft Form. Use the back button on your toolbar to return to this page.

Three individuals with terms expiring were elected to the MSAC Board of Directors for 3-year terms. They were Nathan Johnson, at large, Butch Becker, representing Class IV membership (individuals), and Randy Holmquist, representing Class III membership (commercial).

Join Us In Person at Yankton or Online via Zoom

Bureau of Reclamation staff to provide insight on reservoir sedimentation
at MSAC’s Annual Meeting May 20^th in Yankton

Select Button Below to Register and obtain email for webinar link. Or email msaconline@gmail.com

SPRINGFIELD, SD) – Join the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition for its 21st Annual Membership Meeting to be held in Yankton at the United Way Community Room, 920 Broadway Avenue, at 10 a.m., May 20, 2022. Attendees will have the option of joining via webinar also.

The meeting is free and open to the public. All interested people are encouraged to attend. Registration is available at www.keepitwater.org to obtain the webinar link. The online event will be recorded and available at MSAC’s YouTube channel.

Two hydraulic engineers will provide a special presentation entitled “How Bureau of Reclamation is Reframing Reservoir Sedimentation.” Tim Randle and Jennifer Bountry, based in the Bureau’s Denver Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group office, will join MSAC’s annual meeting via webinar.

MSAC has requested an update on the Guardians of the Reservoir Challenge. The Bureau of Reclamation, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is sponsoring a three-phase competition spanning nearly two years that seeks development of more cost-effective sediment removal methods for reservoirs. This competition builds upon the successes of the “Sediment Removal Techniques for Reservoir Sustainability” competition, and looks to continue progress in the development of new processes and technologies that collect and/or transport sediment from reservoirs at a rate that sustains their current capacity.

In June of 2021, MSAC collaborated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to host a Solutions Workshop as part of Phase 2 to develop a sediment management plan for the Lewis and Clark Lake region. Shortly after Gavins Point Dam was completed in 1957 near Yankton, SD, people at the upper end of the lake and upstream began to feel the impacts of accumulating sediment. Currently, the lake is at least 30 percent full of sediment and by the year 2045 it is projected to be 50% full of sediment. The project to develop a sediment management plan is jointly funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the local sponsor, MSAC. To date, 14 stakeholders along with MSAC and its members have contributed funds to the local effort.

Additional business for MSAC’s annual meeting will be a Phase 2 update provided by Paul Boyd, hydraulic engineer – River and Reservoir Engineer Section, of the US Army Corps of Engineers-Omaha District. There will also be a Board of Directors member election. MSAC’s Board of Director members with terms expiring are: Nathan Johnson, at large, and Butch Becker, representing Class IV membership (individuals), and Randy Holmquist, representing Class III membership (commercial).

MSAC, a 510c3 nonprofit organization, was organized in 2001. It is dedicated to educating the public and to promoting the intelligent use of all available programs and funds to alleviate the sedimentation-caused problems of the Missouri River main-stem reservoirs. MSAC supports a sustainable approach to reservoir management, envisioning doing what is necessary to extend the storage capacity of the reservoir as far into the future as possible recognizing the value of our most precious resource – water.

A full agenda continues to be developed and will be available at MSAC’s Facebook page or at www.msaconline.com or www.keepitwater.com.  Please note that the webinar will be free via an internet connection. A participant may choose to connect by telephone, in which case long distance charges may apply. MSAC requests that meeting attendees register via the website.

(YANKTON) – The havoc caused by the buildup of sediment behind Gavins Point Dam is detailed in a new book by Brooklyn-based author Tyler J. Kelley. Holding Back the River: The Struggle Against Nature on America’s Waterways tells the story of our attempts to bridle the country’s most powerful rivers through personal portraits of the men and women whose lives and livelihoods depend on these tenuously tamed streams.

Learn about this important topic during a free webinar with Tyler J. Kelley on Wednesday, July 14 at 2 p.m., hosted by the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition. Kelley will talk with Jerry Oster, veteran news director at WNAX in Yankton. Kelley, who grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has written for the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The New Yorker among other publications. He spent four days visiting Yankton, Springfield, and Niobrara in 2018, getting to know the area and its people, including members of the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition and the Santee Sioux Nation.

Holding Back the River not only explores the nation’s aging waterway infrastructure, including locks and dams, but also addresses the racial and economic injustices that have long been part of our government’s responses to economic and environmental disasters. The book considers our aging infrastructure–much of it built in the 1950s–and asks that we reimagine it, because while our climate and values have changed, our dams and levees have not.

Email msaconline@gmail.com for the webinar link or visit www.msaconline.com.

Join Webinar July 14 at 2 pm

Or Try This Link. Audio and video will be available via Zoom. If you utilize telephone for audio, long distance charges may apply.